


Been hoping that you'd drop by

by AxisMage



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Forever Evil (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bruce and Thomas actually talk to each other, Christmas Eve, Clark is a ball of sunshine, Dick has a few secrets, Escort Service, Linebreaks, M/M, Thomas and Dick hate losing, Thomas still has a romantic streak
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-09-29 03:04:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17195306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AxisMage/pseuds/AxisMage
Summary: Dick seems to possess some sort of witchery. That is the only explanation Thomas finds for the fact that Dick manages to ruin every single one of his plans without even intending to do it. Thomas has had enough. He has a new plan, a new game to play, and what better day to set it all into motion that Christmas EveChristmasy (?) sequel toBeauty Lays Behind the Hills





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is so late LOL. But still, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, lovely people of AO3! I hope you had a good Christmas, that you have an awesome New Year and that 2019 is an awesome year for you all :D! 
> 
> And yeah, this is the Christmasy fic I wanted to do for these two. Sort of. It was supposed to be about sex and money... I dunno what happened along the way ;A;. Still, I hope it´s enjoyable!

Thomas allows his mind to wander and his feelings to overtake him after their fourth event. The second time he calls the escort service to have Dick sent to him, it goes as well and as fake and ‘wholesome’ as the first time. Thomas hands Dick his suit when he arrives at the penthouse, they go over the new additions to their charade and set out to the opening of the new library. The event ends much sooner than the gala. This time Dick doesn’t even bother bringing sex up before he changes back to his street clothes, bids him goodbye and leaves.  

The third time Thomas is in need of Dick´s services is two weeks before Christmas. As per usual, Wayne Enterprises and the Town Hall hold a Christmas concert, and naturally, the Waynes themselves must attend. The afternoon and night are spent in their usual seats while they listen to the performers, help the town workers serve the food to all the Gothamites who attend. Dick stays quiet during the performances. He smiles and greets people politely when someone wanders over to talk to the eldest Wayne son. Dick goes with him and is the one who gets in line with the town workers and gets the plates piled up with food so Thomas can pass them on to the people in line. It is a cold night, and even with their heavy coats on, Thomas draws Dick closer whenever the air turns downright gelid. Dick presses up to his side and lets Thomas hold his hands between his gloved ones. It is quite an enjoyable “date”. It is ruined as soon as Dick gets back to the penthouse, changes and leaves with an empty, “Good night. Mr. Wayne.”

Their third event is another gala, much smaller than the first one Dick attended. It is barely one week before Christmas. It´s carried out in a big and posh hotel instead of Wayne Tower, and only the close associates of the company are invited. Dick looks beautiful. Dick plays the part of a smitten lover to perfection. The fact that as soon as they are back at their table the sweet and fond ‘Thomas’ turns into an empty and professional ‘Mr. Wayne’ annoys him to no end. Once more, the dance floor seems to be the only place where Dick is willing to be genuine and share bits and pieces about his life. Thomas learns of the time Dick injured his foot during his ballet days. He also learns about his broken shoulder the year he did break dance. Thomas listens, although he doesn’t quite understand how such a young man has apparently gone through all the musical genres and styles already. Thomas can admit he has a good time, and he believes Dick does too. He isn’t sure what he expects of Dick when the night ends after last week, but a quiet reminder about the money and a wave is not it.

Thomas ends the night with several glasses of scotch and a frown. He always figured escorts wouldn’t like to be turned down with such ease. Maybe it is prejudice, maybe it is the worst assumption he has ever made, but it is honestly what he had thought. He had half-expected Dick to smile and flirt and try to push Thomas to take him to bed at least once. Dick hadn’t even mentioned it after their first gala. He hadn’t insinuated anything in any way. It leaves Thomas… not exactly pleased. On one side, he is glad Dick is more than capable of abiding by his rules and wishes without any resistance. Thomas is, after all, quite fond of obedience. On the other side, he feels insulted, and that in turn makes him feel childish and ashamed. The reason as to why he feels insulted makes the situation worse.

Thomas is not a man people can just… pass up on.

He knows he, as much as Bruce, can easily have any person in his bed if he wishes, and that is without even mentioning the money. Thomas knows he is handsome, charming when he needs to be. While he is not a young gun in his twenties anymore, he is still in the best years of his life. Thomas knows all this. He learned how to weaponize all those traits since he attended his first ball at age eighteen. He has never been driven by his libido, but when he does feel the urge, when he does feel _want,_ it isn´t difficult to take someone home and get it over with. Because that is another thing. Sex has never been something Thomas really… delves into. He gets what he wants on his own terms to find release. He gets to choose and turn down who he wants in his bed. He turned down Richard on the very first night. That´s where it should have ended, but it didn’t.

For some reason that makes Thomas take a third glass of scotch, he finds Richard´s lack of interest insulting. Who is Richard Grayson to feign indifference? Who is Richard to pass up on Thomas like that?

He goes to bed with a pleasant buzz of alcohol that tells him to stop overthinking everything. He decides he will allow himself to be distracted at least this once and stops thinking.

He has a good night of sleep.

When he wakes up the next morning, he has decided he will change things. He will not lose the petty battle. He will make Richard interested in him, he will figure out the secret to Dick´s mind. Then he will take him to bed. He will make Richard pay for the offensive indifference he has. Being with Richard seems to be a game now, and Thomas has never been a good loser.

By the time he´s finished breakfast and is on his way to the office, he has started structuring a plan. He has already booked Dick for Christmas Eve and the play he and Bruce have to go see. He has a week to map out his plan and get his best seductive persona ready for the play.

Thomas believes it is an easy task to accomplish.

 

* * *

 

 

Thomas doesn’t know what supernatural power or witchery Dick has that ends up frustrating every single plan he makes and plans to adhere to. Thomas doesn’t know why it takes him four so-called dates to realize that Dick has, in fact, said superpower. It should irk him. No, it should anger him immensely. Thomas doesn’t appreciate even the slightest change to be made to a meeting he plans out for Wayne E. He doesn’t like having the menu for a business lunch changed after he picks it out himself.

Logically, he should be furious with Dick. Logically, he should have already chosen someone else to play the part of a young and loyal lover. He should have bought Dick´s silence and confidence after the second event, when it had been clear that despite not asking Thomas to change anything, his mere presence made _Thomas_ deviate from his own plans, wishes and decisions.

But he doesn’t. He lets it happen before he even realizes he´s allowing it.

Sadly, on the afternoon of the twenty-fourth - after having built another master plan – the moment he sees Dick arrive in navy blue fabric, eyeliner and a frown, he knows the plan will fail, or in the best case, backfire.

“I´m sorry I´m late,” Dick heaves as he stumbles out of the elevator and into the living room area. He pulls a package of wipes out of his bag, gets out a wipe and starts cleaning his face. He does it fast, but not fast enough for Thomas to miss how striking his bright blue eyes look with the black outline. Thomas gets to see it only for a couple of seconds, and he sighs as he sees Dick bring the dirty wipe down. It would have been nice to see a bit more of those eyes all made up.

His eyes dart down to the outfit Dick is wearing, and his brow creases. It is quite clear Dick doesn’t come from his home nor from doing anything Christmas related, if his top is anything to go by. Should Thomas even call it a top? It has sleeves, it covers his shoulders, it has a neck… and that´s about it. Thomas has seen Dick slip in and out of his clothes several times now, it´s not the first time Thomas can appreciate the smooth and gold skin underneath the clothes. It´s not the first time Thomas notices the lean arms and flat belly, but it is the first time he sees just how well the loose pants hang off Dick´s hips. Thomas gets the feeling his hands would fit over those hips perfectly.

He blinks as soon as the thought hits him, realizes Dick has been talking to him, his expression full of worry. Thomas hasn’t heart a single word. “Pardon?”

Dick looks surprised by his apparent confusion. He frowns and stares down at himself. “I know I don’t look perfect right now—” _On the contrary_ , Thomas thinks. “—but if you´ll just give me a couple of minutes to change—”

“Where were you?” Thomas interrupts. He knows traffic is pretty bad during the holidays both on the roads and the train stations, though he doubts traffic is the reason as to why Dick is late.

Dick´s face crumbles for a split second. Then he shuts it down. When he speaks, both his features and voice have settled into that empty cheerfulness Thomas dislikes more every time he sees and hears it. “I was attending some personal business.”

“School-related?” Thomas doesn’t think so, but he has nothing to lose by asking.

Dick hesitates. He shrugs. “Not really.”

Thomas waits for Dick to add something. He doesn’t, of course, so Thomas gets to his feet and walks over to him, runs his fingers along… Dick´s shirt.

“Do you still trust me so little as to not confide in me even your whereabouts?” he asks. “I know you have no obligation to tell me, much less do you want to share anything about your personal life with me, and that is quite all right. However, my question doesn’t exactly violate any privacy rule of yours, and I must admit, I am curious as to why you are wearing such a lovely outfit.”

Dick hesitates again. His eyes flick to Thomas´s fingers on his clothes, then to his face, back to his fingers. After a few seconds, he relaxes. A little bit.

“Fair enough,” Dick mutters. “I just didn’t think you´d want to know. Apart from the fact that it made me late.”

“I am not upset about your tardiness. As I said, I am curious. It is not every night that I see you, much less in such attire.”

Dick almost rolls his eyes. Thomas sees him try not to. He ignores it and follows the trail of small and fake rhinestones and bells up Dick´s arm to his shoulders, to his neck, until he is holding Dick´s chin between his thumb and index finger. He tips the younger man´s head back, and Dick lets him, a small sigh escaping from his lips.

“Well?” he prompts.

Dick does roll his eyes this time. He raises a hand and places it over Thomas´s, although he lets Thomas keep his grip on him. Thomas tries to ignore the feel of Dick´s skin on his own, however mundane the touch is.

“A friend of mine got an audition through the dance academy,” Dick starts. “She´s a belly dancer, it´s the style she´s been practicing since her childhood, but instead of deciding to shine on her own and slay the audition with half a minute of dance, she decided to create a couple´s routine.”

Thomas arches one eyebrow. “To give you an audition as well?” he guesses. Dick nods. “You do not sound particularly grateful.”

Dick gives him a bored look. “I am more than grateful,” he says. “I really am. She´s been such a good and supportive friend of mine since we were kids.”

“Then what is the problem?”

Dick wrinkles his nose. Thomas sees the struggle, the automatic way Dick seems to be editing and cutting out words in his head to share as little as possible.

Thomas presses in closer, sliding an arm around Dick´s waist, in a gesture that is all too familiar by now. He flattens his palm against Dick´s back, enjoying the sensation of warm and smooth skin under his fingertips. He tightens his grip on Dick´s chin, and lets the tension ease out of his shoulders when Dick doesn´t pull away.

“Tell me,” he says. It´s not an order. He can´t make it one.

Dick gives in after a short while “It wasn’t enough. It… they… they said they expected more from her. That they wanted more. That they didn’t want another basic dancer.” Dick huffs, and when Thomas runs his thumb over his lips, he does jerk away, an almost involuntary movement.

“If she´d done the routine for herself and no one else, if she hadn’t…” his voice trails off, and he looks utterly devastated, but also angry. He looks beautiful, anger sharpening his features and darkening his eyes. “They have no idea how hard it was for her to put everything together, to cancel her flight to Greece so she could spend Christmas with her family. She… poured her heart and soul and money into this only for them to—”

Thomas doesn’t know what entity possesses him to make his next move. Maybe it´s Richard´s supernatural power, maybe it´s Richard´s witchery, Thomas can´t be sure. Whatever it is, an alarm bell is going off inside his head as he slides his hand from Dick´s chin to his cheek and leans in to press their lips together in a pathetic attempt of comfort.

Dick jerks away so hard that this time he stumbles out of Thomas´s grip and falls onto the couch. Thomas tries to keep his breathing from quickening. It shouldn’t be a problem. They have kissed in public before, they did it during the concert and during last week´s gala. Granted, they had been nothing but superficial and quick pecks. Nonetheless, it shouldn’t stun them as much as it does.

Dick gives him wide and surprised eyes. Thomas stares back, straightens out his jacket. He is not going to apologize. Objectively, that kiss could also count as a part of Dick´s job, couldn’t it?

Thomas turns around before his thoughts go any further. He picks up Dick´s suit and hands it over before going for their coats. He´d bought them for the opening of the library, dark grey for him, bright blue for Dick. It hadn’t been much of a conscious decision. He´d been walking through town, seen the coats, remembered the fact that he´d just phoned the agency to book Dick for the outdoors event the following night and he´d decided to buy them. Dick had looked suspicious before putting it on. Thomas had expected Dick to at least ask if he could take the warm and expensive coat home when they were done. He hadn’t.

“I forgot to get the details this time. How long are you needing me tonight?”

Dick´s voice makes him blink. When Thomas turns to face him again, Dick is working on buttoning his dress shirt, his pants already on. The navy blue suit will match the coat to perfection.

“Only three or four hours,” Thomas replies. “There is no need for you to worry. I will release you with enough spare time to go with the ones you wish to celebrate Christmas Eve.”

“I wasn’t asking because of that.”

“Oh? Do you not have a party to attend? A family or real partner to go to?”

Dick finishes with his shirt and reaches for the tie. “You seem to be asking a lot of questions and getting a bit too personal tonight, don’t you, Mr. Wayne?”

Honestly, he´s starting to dislike even the sound of his own name. “Thomas. And since you were late and refuse to accept any sort of peace offering from me, I believe the amounts I´m paying you allow me to ask a few questions, personal or otherwise.”

 “Pulling the money card now, are we?”

Thomas grits his teeth. “You leave me no other choice, stubborn and petulant child that you are, and I am curious, I have admitted to that.”

Dick´s eyes flash with clear defiance. “Child,” he echoes. “I suppose to you, I am.”

_… Thomas has had enough of being rejected and metaphorically slapped for tonight._

He slides his coat on and goes to find his gloves. He needs a moment to breathe or he will do something he will regret. He needs a moment to breathe and clear his head enough for him to remember his plan and try to salvage it. The chances of doing it are almost nonexistent, but he´ll try.

“You have five minutes to get down to the car or I will cancel your appointment and you can forget about the money,” he calls on his way to the elevator. He picks up the keys to the Porsche and gets inside.

By the time he gets into the car, he can actually think.

By the time Dick opens the door and gets inside, Thomas has everything under control.

Until, of course, Dick opens his mouth to speak.

“I´m sorry,” is the first thing he says. Their gazes meet. Thomas can count on one hand the times Dick has made voluntary eye-contact with him. Counting this, Thomas still has two fingers left. Before he can say anything, Dick goes on. “I apologize, Mr. Wayne.  It´s been a crappy day and I was just trying to take it out on you. That was way too unprofessional of me… literally any other client would have sent me on my way home already. I am very sorry.”

Thomas raises an eyebrow, revs up the engine and grips the steering wheel. “Would they, Richard?” His tone drips with skepticism. From the things the lady at the agency has said about Dick and his clients whenever Thomas calls – and what Thomas has seen him do – no one even ever dares to cancel an afternoon with Dick, be it for his acting skills or something else.

Dick stays quiet for a bit, the snorts. “No,” he admits. “No, they wouldn’t. Every other client I have would have panicked.”

“And waited hand and foot on you until you felt better?”

“A good portion of them, yeah. No one would have asked why I was upset, though. Which, I mean, is more than understandable. I´m there to look pretty, open my mouth when the client tells me to and make them happy, not the other way around.”

“I have the sneaking suspicion that despite that, your clients buy your empty cheerfulness and bask in your fake attentions and devotions. Which means that more often than not, you have them wrapped around your finger.”

Dick shrugs.

Thomas goes on. “Even if no one else asked why you were not okay, they would have done their utmost to make you happy again. By doing so, they could lull themselves back into the beautiful fantasy you bring them.”

“All of this would be so much easier if you were like them and only wanted sex and to believe this fantasy, no questions asked.”

It´s the first time Dick mentions sex since the first time they met. It makes Thomas frown. He tries to reach inside his own mind and pull out the smooth and serious charmer he was supposed to be for his plan to work. The charmer is not there.

“About what you asked earlier,” Dick adds. “About friends and family. I don’t have any family. I was invited to spend the night with a group of friends from the academy, but since I couldn’t remember how long I was working tonight, I didn’t promise to go to the party.”

Thomas´s hands grip the wheel so hard he´s pretty sure his knuckles whiten. He tries not to read too much into Dick´s answers, holds back another couple of questions. “I will release you as soon as my obligations are done. I do not wish to hold you back. If we are lucky, it will be at least two hours before midnight when we get out.”

Dick nods, pauses. He frowns. “What about you? Are you doing something tonight?”

“I am not fond of celebrating these holidays, or any holiday at all, so no. As soon as we are done at the theater I will return home and get some rest.”

“What about tomorrow?”

Thomas sighs. “Family breakfast.”

This time, Dick is the one who waits to hear more. When Thomas doesn’t speak, his frown deepens.

Thomas allows a chuckle to escape. He hasn’t been amused in a while. “It is not nice to be on the receiving end of cryptic answers, is it, Richard?”

“This would be so much easier for me if you were like all the other men I work for,” Dick repeats.

Thomas´s lips form a thin line. “This would be so much easier for me if you were as uninteresting, compliant and fun to play with as nearly all the other human beings I have met,” he mutters. It would also be easier if for some unknown and horrifying reason Dick didn’t have a talent for slipping through every single crack in Thomas´s mind.

 

* * *

 

 

Dick is falling asleep. Thomas can feel it more than see it. He feels Dick´s body slump inch by inch, can feel his head nearing his shoulder until it actually hits it, and then he feels Dick jerk away and straighten in his seat. Thomas hears the rustling of clothes as Dick tries to stay awake. However, barely a minute goes by before Dick is back to slumping and letting out the softest of snores.

Thomas doesn’t blame him. While both he and Bruce learned to enjoy theater it all its forms from an early age thanks to their parents and later Alfred, he has to admit the current presentation is quite boring. Not because the acting or scenery or the plot is bad but because it is Christmas-themed.

Like he´d told Dick earlier, Thomas isn’t fond of Christmas celebrations. He did like to celebrate when he and Bruce were kids and their parents were alive. They all used to go into town and walk around the Gotham parks on the twenty-fourth, Alfred would hand them the cookies to leave next to the tree and he and Bruce would end up sleeping on the same bed. In the morning of the twenty-fifth, Bruce would be the first one awake and the one dragging Thomas down to open up all their presents.

It had been nice. Those memories are ones Thomas does cherish and will never forget. However, after their parents died and he and Bruce grew up, holiday celebrations took a backseat to pretty much everything else. Had it not been for Alfred, he and Bruce would have turned out far worse than they did. That is to say, even more standoffish and cold.

Bruce has gotten better in the last five years or so, Thomas thinks as he glances a few rows over to find his brother and Clark. He can´t see their faces, only the shapes of their bodies slumped together in what he assumes must be a hug. His family has been such a positive influence on him. Bruce has regained a considerable amount of the Wayne holiday spirit thanks to his children and now husband. Thomas is glad for him. He, however, hasn’t regained any Christmas spirit, which is why he wants to fall asleep just like Dick.

Although, is Dick sleeping because he´s bored or because he´s tired?

He shifts in his seat and contemplates Dick´s slumping form in the darkness of the theater. Dick´s head does a final dive, and that´s when he jerks awake, straightens up in his seat. He blinks when he catches Thomas watching him, rubs at his eyes. “Uh? Oh, darn. Sorry, Mr. Wayne, I…”

“No need to apologize, Richard. I understand this sort of event can be a bit boring.”

Dick´s mouth drops. “Oh… oh, no. I´m not bored.”

“Your yawns and snores would beg to differ.”

Even with how dark it is around them, Thomas can see Dick blush. He clears his throat, moves around in his seat. It is the first time Thomas catches him off-guard, not counting the kiss earlier today.

“I´m not bored,” he repeats. “Christmas movies and specials and plays are always great to watch. It´s always heart-warming.”

“I sense a ‘but’ coming.”

Dick chuckles. The sound reminds Thomas of their first even together. An open, honest and genuine sound of amusement.

“My friend and I spent all night perfecting the routine. It was exhausting, and then we gave it our all during the presentation. I just need a nap,” Dick mumbles.

Thomas glances down at his watch, then at the stage, then back to Dick. He thinks about it for a couple of seconds, then stretches his arm over the back of Dick´s seat.

“We are only one hour in, and according to the program, there are almost two hours left. You may rest right now if you wish to.”

Dick´s eyes widen. “Isn´t that sort of… wrong?”

“We arrived together. We smiled for the cameras. We are sitting together. The basics have been covered, Richard, now it is only a matter of waiting until this is over and we go home.” Thomas waves the hand not thrown over the seat. “If you wish to take a nap, don’t let our situation hold you back. There is nothing to do now. I will pay you in full, whether you get some rest right now or not.”

Dick tenses with the last bit. He frowns. Thomas turns his attention back to the stage. It is still boring.

Then there is rustling, the creak of the cushion beneath Dick, then Dick´s body pressing against his side, his head falling solidly against his shoulder.

Dick exhales, his breath warm against Thomas´s neck. “Given you´ve done more in public, I´m guessing this is okay for me to do,” he says.

When Thomas speaks, his tone is as steady as ever. It has to be. “Of course.”

Dick lets out an appreciatory hum. He relaxes, let outs another sigh. “Thanks, Mr. Wayne.”

It seems the name battle is one Dick is determined to win.

The following hour is complicated. Thomas tries to give the play his whole and undivided attention. Even if it bores him, it gives him something to do. It´s either watch the play or focus on Dick´s soft and slow breathing, the warm breaths against his neck, the way Dick´s hair grazes his chin. This close, Thomas can´t help but also catch a whiff of whatever cologne or deodorant Dick is wearing. It´s light, and fresh, and suits him so well that Thomas wants to get him a full truck as soon as he learns the name or brand.

Near the end of the first hour, Thomas has moved his arm. He´s come to lay it over Dick´s shoulders to pull him closer and be more comfortable. Not that much later, he´s resting his chin on top of Dick´s hair and closing his eyes. By the one-and-a-half-hour mark, Thomas has fallen into a deep and comfortable sleep.

He wakes up because someone is shaking him and is not being gentle about it.

He cracks one eye open and lets out a grunt, feels his lips curve in displeasure when he sees Bruce standing in front of him, a hand on his shoulder. “What?” he mutters.

 “Get up. Loverboy too. Everyone has left already.”

Thomas cracks the other eye open. He glances around, finds the lights turned on and all the seats empty. On the stage, a few men are taking down the lights and curtains.

“I slept through the applause?” he asks, amazed.

“You both did,” Clark calls out cheerfully, appearing over Bruce´s shoulder. He grins when Thomas raises both eyebrows. “Hey, Thomas.”

“Good evening, Clark.”

“People told us you arrived early.”

“And I assume you and Bruce got here after everyone was already seated?”

“Yeah, we had a little setback with Damian and Jon, but it´s all okay now.”

“I am glad.” Dick stirs at his side, demanding Thomas´s attention. He takes his arm back before Dick sits up properly and wipes sleep away from his face. He blinks a couple of times, mouth dropping open when he sees Bruce and Clark.

“Oh,” he says. He clears his throat. “Mr. Wayne. Mr. Kent. Good night.”

Bruce nods. Clark waves. “Hi, Dick! How are you?”

“Good. Great, actually. I… uh…”

“Clark fell asleep too, if that makes it easier for you to say that you enjoyed your nap,” Bruce says.

Dick´s eyes fly wide. Thomas and Clark snort.

“Uh,” is all he manages to reply. He seems frozen after that, but Clark, being Clark comes to the rescue with an easy and open smile aimed at everyone.

“Well, can you blame me, Bruce? It got a bit repetitive after the first hour,” he says, then clears his throat. “Thomas, Dick, I was wondering if you´d made plans for after the play? Are you spending Christmas Eve together and doing something special?”

Dick tenses. Thomas does react any better. His gaze cuts to Bruce with a silent question, whose expression gives nothing away. However, Thomas finds his answer in said emptiness.

_You little—_

He holds back the mental curse and decides to answer Clark´s question with one of his own. “Are _you_ doing something?”

Bruce nods once more. “We have dinner reservations at Chez Vous,” he says. “Clark wanted to know if you´d like to join us.”

“I figured you would want to go back home to the children.”

“Almost everyone is out with friends or partners,” Clark informs. “And we dropped Jon and Damian off with Lois for tonight so they could go see the fireworks show. We wanted to have a night to ourselves and we figured tonight would be good.”

Dick pulls farther away from Thomas. He doesn’t speak, though it is obvious he wants to. Thomas remembers what he said about going home after the play.

“We didn’t make plans,” he says. He doesn’t get a chance to finish that thought, though, and Clark steps forward, a triumphant smile on his lips.

“Excellent. Then Bruce and I would like you to join us for dinner. You know, just the four of us, so you and Bruce can get some brotherly time in.”

“And so Clark can get to know Dick a bit better,” Bruce adds.

“Well, of course,” Clark beams. “Since I´ve met Bruce, I´ve never seen Thomas with anybody, much less has he brought anyone to more than one event. You two must be going for a serious thing.”

Thomas would have snarled if it hadn’t been impolite to do so. Those words made it even clearer. Bruce hadn’t told Clark about Thomas´s brilliant decision of hiring someone to play a partner and lover. Now Clark thought he and Dick were together. Actually together. For real.

Thomas can feel a headache forming.

He sighs and presses his fingertips against his forehead. Clark is a good man, the opposite of Bruce in so many ways. Thomas doesn’t want to be rude to his brother-in-law, not today. He also doesn’t want to take up more of Dick´s time for a dinner neither of them asked for.

As he´s trying to figure out the best way to turn Clark down, the man´s cellphone rings. Clark excuses himself and moves down a few rows to take the call. Bruce stays where he is.

Thomas grits his teeth. “You did not tell him.”

“About you and Dick? No, I didn’t.”

“There is nothing between us,” Dick finally speaks.

Bruce gives him a flat look. “I am aware of that. I know he hired you to play the role. I was there when he decided to do it.”

“Then why did you not tell Clark?” Thomas asks. “I am sure it would break his heart more than mine if I told him Richard is an escort and I am only paying him to play a part.”

“That’s why I didn’t tell him,” Bruce deadpans. “He seemed so happy for you. I have no idea why, maybe because he´s tired of always seeing you alone. He´s been wanting to talk to Dick since the first gala.” Bruce looks at Dick. “He thinks you´re part of the family already, and for Clark, family must always stick close.”

Dick´s face shows nothing but dismay and confusion. Thomas tries not to groan. He glares at Bruce, at Clark, then shakes his head. “Richard has plans.”

“I´ll cover the extra hours if you cancel and come with us,” Bruce says. “You can tell Clark _during_ dinner about your arrangement, or not, that´s your choice. Nonetheless, talking and sharing a meal with you will put him at ease. Thomas never told me about your rates, but whatever they are, I´ll pay for the extra time. Do we have a deal?”

Dick gapes. Thomas does let out a groan this time. He goes back to rubbing his forehead. “Don’t look so surprised. When it comes to family, it is not about the world satisfying Bruce´s every whim and him getting everything he wants,” he tells Dick. “It´s about him making his family happy no matter what. It doesn’t mean you have to accept the invitation if you don’t want to. I know you said—”

“Hey, it´s fine,” Dick interrupts, and gives Thomas´s arm a squeeze. His eyes are wide, and he looks even more surprised than before. Shocked, even.

The brothers wait for him to speak. Dick finishes putting his thoughts in order and offers them both one of those genuine and sparkly smiles. They´re the smiles Thomas likes.

“Like I told Mr. Wayne, I didn’t accept any invitations for tonight because I didn’t know how long I was working tonight. I would very much like to have dinner with you.”

Bruce gives an approving nod. “How much would it be, or do we talk about that after dinner?”

“No need to pay for anything, brother. If Richard wishes to go, we will go, and I will take care of the extra time,” Thomas assures him.

Dick lets out a frustrated sound. He gives Thomas´s arm another squeeze, frowns. “No, no one is paying for anything. That´s a very nice invitation and I would like to go. Off the clock. Voluntarily.”

This time, Thomas is the one that looks surprised. Bruce just grunts his agreement. “Excellent. Thomas, you know the way, get Dick and yourself there. I´ll go check in on Clark and see if it has anything to do with the kids. We´ll meet you there.”

He walks off without another word. Thomas tips his head back and sighs. What a screwed up night this is turning out to be. How did he even think he was going to have control of the situation, again?

“It´s the first time I see you and the other Mr. Wayne talking.”

Thomas raises his head, sees Dick getting to his feet and sliding his coat on. “Was it interesting?”

“Very. You two don’t usually cross paths during the events, and the few times I´ve seen you talk, it´s one-worded questions and answers thrown both ways.”

Thomas sighs. He gets to his feet as well. “We are brothers, after all. We don’t always show it and Wayne Enterprises events are still business to us, so we have a lot of stuff to do.”

“But from the looks of it, you´re still just a pair of siblings at the core,” Dick says. He´s smiling, and it´s a new one. There´s amusement and a hint of teasing in the smile, as well as surprise and… a new _openness_ that hadn’t been there two hours prior.

Thomas likes it.

“More a classical pair of siblings than you believe,” he says, and allows a smile of his own to adorn his face.

 

* * *

 

 

“It´s not a soccer team.”

“Isn´t it? My calculations say otherwise.”

“Well, your calculations are dead wrong. It´s not even half a soccer team.”

“Oh, come now, you know it is way more than half a team.”

“It´s not.”

“Shall I start counting them off?”

Bruce throws his napkin on the table and crosses his arms. “Be my guest.”

Thomas knocks back the last of his glass of wine and starts holding up his fingers. “Jason. Timothy. Cassandra. Damian.”

“That´s only four.”

“I am not done. When you married Clark, Jonathan became your son. Stephanie lives at the manor and calls you dad to spite you. Timothy and Cassandra have granted Duke the status of honorary Wayne child.”

Bruce rolls his eyes. “Seven.”

“Conner.”

“Conner is Clark´s brother.”

“Which Clark, and by extension you, treats as his son.”

“Fine. That´s eight. Not a full soccer team.”

Thomas picks up his glass and holds it out at Bruce. “More than half.”

Bruce snorts, picks up the wine bottle and pours for his brother.

Dick lets out a soft laugh and turns to face Clark, finds him smiling and shaking his head.

“Eight children?” he verifies, decides to tune out the following jabs the brothers throw at each other.

Clark gives him an embarrassed smile. “He had four kids of his before I even met him. I had Jon from my previous marriage, and my little brother moved to Gotham with me. I´ve always been kind of overprotective of him. Steph and Duke joined later on, but yeah, you could say Bruce and I have eight kids.”

“Must be a full house.”

“Well, Jason, Conner and Duke don’t live with us. The three of them are in college. I think they´re… about your age, maybe a couple years younger. Mind if I ask how old you are?”

Dick searches his face, half expecting to see Clark judging already or awaiting his answer in order to judge. He sees nothing but good-natured curiosity.

“I´m twenty-one” he says.

Clark grins. “Ah, yes, only a couple of years older than Jason and Duke. Have you been working as an escort for long?”

Again, Dick tries to find the evil intentions hidden underneath the question, and again, he finds none. Thomas had spilled the beans – at Dick´s prodding –  as soon as the food had been served, and while Clark had been immensely surprised and disappointed Thomas wasn’t in a real relationship, he had moved on without a problem saying he still wanted to talk to and learn about Dick.

“Since I was nineteen,” Dick tells him. He knows Thomas can hear, he knows he´s been keeping a lot of personal information from him, but he can´t do it now. There is something about Clark Kent that brings every single of his walls down.

“Oh? And how did you get into the business?”

“A newspaper ad. I knew I wanted to continue my formal dance training after high school, but you know, now that I was out of the system and didn’t want to stay freeloading off a friend´s family I knew I needed a job.” Dick had tried other jobs. Dick had actually had several jobs through high school and tried to keep them when he started attending the dance academy. The money hadn’t been enough. Then Wally had thrown him a newspaper to help him find another job, and the one he´d found that day, he´d stayed with.

“System?” Clark blinks. “Oh. Are you… an orphan?”

Dick nods.

“What… ah. Is it rude of me to ask you…?”

“My parents died a long time ago, and the one uncle I had never came forward. I stayed in Chicago until I was fifteen, then I was transferred to Gotham, and here I am.”

Clark seems ready to ask another question, but Bruce clearing his throat stops him.

“Enough with the interrogation, finish your food, it's getting cold," he says. Dick takes a deep breath when Clark starts eating, thinking he's been let off the hook. Much to his chagrin, Bruce picks up where Clark left off, but there is no subtlety this time.

"What happened to your parents?" he asks, picking up the napkin he'd thrown.

Thomas is very quiet and still at his side. Dick knows he's pretending that whatever Dick is saying is of no interest to him or that it doesn't surprise him. He knows these are answers Thomas has wanted to have and that Dick keeping information from him annoys him. He knows Thomas is trying to keep his cool when, probably, he wants to lean in and hear every word,.

Dick doesn't understand why Thomas has to be such a complicated man. Why does he have to inquire about his personal life so much? Why does he have to push and pull for Dick to believe the fantasy they're selling, the lie Thomas hired him to uphold? Why does Thomas want to get in his head? Apart from being a serious control freak in nearly all aspects of his life - which Dick has noticed he clearly is - Dick doesn't understand why. Then again, maybe "control freak" should be answer enough. He's met many of those in the two and a half years since he´s started doing this. He knows how to deflect and evade their questions and intentions, how to distract them and have things go his way: easy, quick and business-like, even when it comes to sex. The fact that most of his clients tend to double not his age but Thomas´s also helps. Elderly men don’t tend to ask for much or last long.

Unfortunately, with Thomas, nothing ever seems to be easy, and nothing Dick does or attempts to do works out like he wants it to.

Having resigned himself to letting go of what little edge he had over Thomas since they left the theater, Dick shrugs. “They died when I was nine. We were circus performers. One night the cables snapped… and they fell. They did contact an uncle I never really knew. He never showed up, and I went from orphanage to orphanage until I was eighteen,” he explains. He´s used to the reaction that particular story brings when he tells it, so he prepares for the sympathetic and pity-filled glances.

When all he gets is serious nods from the Wayne brothers and an almost proud smile from Clark, he feels… relieved.

“And what about college?” Bruce asks.

“I applied for a scholarship. The plan was to major in accounting.” Dick pokes at his food with his fork, sighs before he digs back in. He´s pretty full, but the food is expensive, and he doesn’t want to be rude. “Then plans changed. I didn’t get the scholarship, tuition became too expensive after the second semester, and I´ve always loved dancing more than numbers, so I decided to get a better job and a career I actually wanted.”

“And is it safe to assume you are doing… well?” Bruce asks.

Dick gives him a grin, jerks a thumb on Thomas´s direction. “You could say so, yes. Mr. Wayne here is one of my best paying clients. He´s tipped me generously after every event.” And Thomas really has. Every morning after working for Thomas, when Dick wakes up and checks his emails, he finds the message from his bank telling him the transaction has been done. The three previous times, the amount has been more than what was agreed on. Dick hasn’t said anything until now, Thomas hasn’t either. It had been a nice silent agreement.

Thomas chokes on his drink. Both of Bruce´s eyebrows rise. Even Clark looks surprised. Dick hopes he didn’t just ruin everything.

“Tips?” Clark says. He and Bruce exchange glances. Bruce´s lip twitches.

Thomas lets out a choked sound. It´s a sound Dick never thought he´d hear from the eldest Wayne. “Brother, if you—”

“Thomas has never been big on tipping,” Bruce says, and Thomas lets out another of those sounds. “He´s very picky and demanding. No one´s services are good enough.”

“Never,” Clark adds helpfully. “There was that time, before Bruce and I got married, when I went with the two of them on a business trip. We stayed in a really nice hotel. Thomas got the manager fired, though, due… ah, why did he do it, Bruce?”

Thomas presses his palm against his face. Dick can hear the groan he tries to suppress.

“Yes, I believe that is more than enough information. Richard doesn’t need any to know any of this,” he says.

Bruce snorts. Clark looks both guilty and amused. Dick does something he didn’t think he´d be able to do around any client, less of all Thomas.

“Oh, I think I need to know a lot of these little details,” he teases, and he knows the sudden change in his voice is what makes Thomas snap his head up and narrow his eyes.

Dick grins, enjoys the fact he´s unsettling Thomas for a change and leans forward, putting on his best innocent face.

“So, Mr. Wayne. Why did your brother have the manager fired?”

“If I were someone childish, I would kick you under the table this second,” Thomas hisses.

Bruce lets out a laugh. It´s deep and holds an edge of satisfaction to it. “But you are not, so let us share with Dick what happened at the hotel,” Bruce says, then faces Dick and proceeds to tell him more than just one story.

 

* * *

 

 

Had Thomas known his unnerving brother, his husband and family matters overall would be the key to Dick´s… mind, he would have gotten them involved sooner. Or maybe not. No matter how tight a grip he might want to keep when it came to his brother and Clark ratting him out, that is something he has never been able to control. Involving his family means making himself vulnerable, something he doesn’t like to be or feel.

With Dick´s warm hand resting on his forearm, he believes it is all worth it, though.

He hates that thought so much. He refuses to believe it. If he does, he knows he´ll have to admit it´s not about making Dick want him and wanting to play with him. If he admits he´s enjoyed the night and smiled more than once at several of Dick´s antics, he knows he´ll have to admit defeat.

“And there you go, back into your cold and controlling shell.”

He blinks at Dick´s words, glances at him out of the corner of his eye. Dick is facing front, his expression relaxed, the lightest of smiles curving his lips. Several steps ahead, Clark is forcing Bruce to snap pictures of him in front of all the trees in Gotham central park. They´d walked there after dinner, Clark wanting to see and show the three of them how they´d decorated this year. Half an hour after walking around, the place is still as full as when they arrived. It´s mostly families, several couples, all going out for a small lights show before Christmas.

“I will be bold and say, that is the pot calling the kettle back, Richard,” he muses.

Dick doesn’t reply right away. They keep on following Bruce and Clark. As they finally reach the end of the park, Dick speaks.

“Fair enough. That shell was ripped off my back tonight, though.”

“As was mine, wouldn’t you agree?”

Dick lets out a dry chuckle, shrugs. “It´s been… nice learning more about you. Seeing you out of the gallant and cheerful persona Thomas Wayne Jr. presents in these sort of events.”

“It has also been nice to get to know you, Richard, to learn more about you than just what a great performer you are.”

“I bet you´re loving the fact that I finally get to spill the beans so you can satisfy your curiosity about me.”

“I will not deny it has been interesting.”

Dick shakes his head, lets out a soft scoff. “I won´t deny I´ve had a good time tonight, either. Play aside, a nice dinner and a walk around the park after working is not a bad way to spend Christmas Eve.”

Thomas hums in agreement. They stay silent as they keep on walking. It´s not a tense or indifferent silence like many before. It´s neutral, comfortable even.

Thomas still has something to say.

“About what you mentioned earlier. Your dance routine. I am sure it was flawless, and your friend was not turned down out of nothing but intimidation.”

“You haven´t seen me dance anything but a weak and informal waltz, yet you sound so sure.”

“Let us say I am confident in your abilities.”

“Right.”

“Although, I might give a more honest and in-depth opinion if I ever had the chance to actually see you perform said routine.”

Dick rolls his eyes. “I just bet you would. Hate to say it, but if I do that, it´d be back on the clock.”

“Naturally.”

“It would cost as much as sex.”

“Is that supposed to intimidate me?”

Dick can´t help but laugh at how mighty and arrogant Thomas sounds.

He shakes his head. “No, it isn´t… Thomas.”

 


	2. Not really fanfic material

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this isn´t really a chapter or a fanfic, just a few Thomas headcanons that I wanted to share

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel dirty posting this here in ao3, I´m sorry ;A; but at the same time I really wanted to share these headcanons, especially because they came to be thanks to this AU. I posted them on my [tumblr](https://blakedawson76.tumblr.com/) and yeah... I wanted to post them here too even if they are so not fanfic material ;A;

**Thomas Wayne Jr. Headcanons:**

 

  * He´s a total and utter control freak (big surprise).  
  

  * He suffers from insomnia. Most nights he lays and turns and tosses around in his bed for hours remembering the night where their parents were killed and the months that followed.


  * He´s a pretty good actor and puts on a great façade during public Wayne E. events, but he burns out way faster than Bruce.  
  

  * The fancy speech. Both he and Bruce grew up with a very complex and classy vocabulary thanks to their parents, then Alfred, then school and then their social circle. The Waynes talk pretty, no doubt about that, but as time has gone on, Bruce has lost that edge. Thomas hasn´t. He still isn’t fond of contractions, is very appropriate in articulating his sentences even in the most informal setting and the words he uses half the time make the other person look it up in a dictionary.   
  

  * He´s fancier than Bruce in some aspects, speech being in one of them. He also shares Bruce´s habit of always eating with cutlery and neatly. He doesn’t mind people eating with their fingers or in a messy manner, he understands not everyone has his habits, but he´s literally unable to eat stuff like French fries, fried chicken and pizza without a fork. Not that he´s a big fan of junk food anyway. He does like nuts and popcorn though, as long as he´s able to toss them from the bags and straight into his mouth.  
  

  * He doesn’t really like turtlenecks. Instead, he prefers dress shirts. He tends to wear neutral colors, but over the years, the people at Wayne E. have seen him in red, bright blue, pink and even purple shirts. Yellow and green seem to be colors he absolutely avoids, for some reason. He likes to match his outfits with faux fur-lined coats.  
  

  * He plans. Bruce executes. Mind you, this by no means implies that Bruce isn´t a master planner of his own, it just implies that Bruce is better at portraying and acting as a more approachable and understanding and communicative boss than Thomas is (which given how Bruce is at that, gives you an inkling about how… worse Thomas manages). He and Bruce usually schedule out the meetings together and Thomas is the one who organizes what will be said and arranges everything in order for Bruce to present it the next day. He does sit in on all the meetings, but he rarely speaks. When he does speak, it´s usually to accentuate Bruce´s points and call the employees and businessmen to order.  
  

  * He moved out of the manor when he was twenty-two and had just finished his major in human biology. When he entered med school, he´d already purchased the penthouse he currently lives in. He has an interior designer decorate it every four or so years. Currently, the penthouse looks something like [this](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ03jPEEyMgE4RQN2xPyBA8Z69Rhh3_yfkoQfpVxnjINzxFAnPE) and [this](https://cdn.homedit.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Kiev-loft-renovation-lounge-area-colors.jpg).  
  

  * He´s actually a licensed surgeon, albeit a non-practicing one. He got his license before his residency, and he was a resident in Gotham General hospital for a bit over two years. He got bored after that and decided to take on the business field. At thirty, he went in for a degree in business administration. He never stopped being involved in Wayne E.´s business and has always taken part in the major decisions, but he´s only started managing departments in Wayne E. for a bit over a year.  
  

  *  He´s a very lonely person. Up until Dick, he hadn’t minded or even noticed anything. One of the reasons as to why he quickly made his way through med school and then business school was the fact that he doesn’t really has nor has he had many friends to distract himself with. Or friends at all. He´s always been friendly and cordial enough for people to want to work with him and to not steer clear when he walks by, but he´s always been intimidating and too standoffish for most people´s liking. Hence, during all his life he´s had nothing to do but focus on school, his job, and maintaining bearable relationships with acquaintances.  
  

  * He doesn’t have a lot of hobbies apart from his job. He likes reading well enough, and every once in a while he likes to play billiard, but not enough to actually get a pool table for his home. He also likes drinking. He´s very demanding when it comes to self-control, however, he does enjoy sitting down in his couch most nights and staring out the windows to see the cityscape while enjoying wine or brandy.  
  

  * Which brings up the next point. He deeply dislikes cocktails. He likes his liquor pure and untouched.  
  

  * He´s never been in love until Dick, which means he has absolutely no idea on how to handle those romantic feelings. Due to being alone and detached most of his life and, until Dick, having no interest in anybody, it´s hard for him to not be intense, or impulsive. It´s hard for him not to quickly develop an attraction that then turns into something more. He has no sense of caution or self-preservation on this one aspect of his life. One he actually realizes what´s going on, he gets attached too quickly, he wants too much, he does too much. He dives in head first. It frustrates him to absolutely no end, how vulnerable he is romantically.



 

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the classic (?) "Baby it´s cold outside"
> 
> As per usual, me deepest apologies for any grammar and spelling mistake ;A;
> 
> And even bigger apologies if Thomas seemed too OOC here. I reall am sorry if that´s the case. I love the freaking ow, but he wants to slip through my fingers XD
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


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